A Guide to Pocatello Mountain Bike Trails

By Bruce Black

Maps by Naomi House.Illustration (above) by JoLynn HowellPublished by the Idaho State University Outdoor Program, Pocatello,
ID

(c) Copyright 1993, Idaho State University Outdoor Program. You are
welcome to provide links to this page or to use short quotes and paraphrases
in other documents as long as you appropriately credit the author and source.
If you wish to publish extensive parts, or all, of it, please obtain advanced
written permission from the ISU Outdoor Program. Thanks!

Introduction

This small guide was developed in response to the many people who called
or came into the Idaho State University Outdoor Program Office to ask where
they could go mountain biking. We admit that this isn't the most
detailed or comprehensive guide but it should help you get started on a
sampling of the many fine rides in the area.

The public lands surrounding the Pocatello valley are literally crisscrossed
with a network of mountain bike trails. It isn't an exaggeration
when we say that the riding here is outstanding. There is something
for everyone. We have had riders from throughout the United States
come on our common adventure rides and nearly all say that Pocatello trails
are among the best they have ever been on. A recent magazine article
seconds that opinion, describing the Pocatello area as a little known mountain
biking paradise. Terrain ranges from mild jeep roads to technical
single tracks. You can meander across sage covered benches, dart
through cedar covered hills, and coast beneath the sweeping boughs of grand
old firs and pines.

This guide is best used in combination with Mike Sullivan's Pocatello
Area Trail Map. This exhaustive map is available at Pocatello Sporting
Good Stores or at the ISU Outdoor Program. We encourage all riders
to obey all posted signs and to take care of our environment. Please
pack out all your trash and stay on the established trails. To be
certain you are riding on trails and roads that are open to mechanized
travel it is advisable to obtain a Travel Plan Map from the Forest Service.
This map is available for free. Just stop by the Federal Building
located at 250 South 4th, room #187, Pocatello.

General Information On The Maps In This Guide

This guide is divided into six parts which correspond to six major riding
areas. To help you find the trailhead, an overview map of the entire
Pocatello area is located below. The detailed maps included with
the write-ups of the riding areas give you a general idea of where the
trail goes. While these maps will assist you in getting started you'll
probably want to have a copy of Mike Sullivan's Pocatello Area Trail Map
or detailed topographic maps for the best route finding.

1. Trail Creek & Howard Mountain Area

Difficulty & Distance:Easy to difficult, various distances.

CAUTION: SOME AREAS ARE SHOOTING RANGES.

This area is a good place to ride in cooler weather or when time is
short. To get to it, drive from Old Downtown Pocatello
north on Main Street to Carson Street. Turn left on Carson and head
west to Raymond Park. Keep heading west over the Portneuf River and
up Trail Creek Road. (Carson ends at the bridge where there is a big intersection
of streets and then the name changes to Trail Creek). Follow Trail
Creek to Foothill. Turn north (right) and follow Foothill for three
blocks. You should be at the top of Ravine and the bottom of Trail
Creek Road. Head up Trail Creek to the top, park, get out your bike,
and enjoy.

The map below is somewhat vague. This is because the trails go
everywhere, crisscrossing each other. Trying to explain how to stay
on a given route is madness so just go explore this area.
Having said this, there is one particular trail that should be
mentioned. Just south of the Trail Creek road is a drainage that
has a nice jeep road ride. The drainage was the site of a fire in
1992 so the trees are all charred. To get on the trail, park your
vehicle just past the last home in the school bus turn-out. Ride
up the road and watch for a spur road heading to the left through a fence.
Follow the spur road which eventually turns into a cow trail near the top.
This alternate route is a popular ride that is out of the way of shooters.

2. City Creek, Kinport Mountain, and Cusick Creek:

If you are starting from the ISU campus, you can get to this area by following
Fifth Avenue north, which is a one way road. Turn left on Benton
two to three blocks from campus. Drive west on Benton Street until
reaching South Grant. Turn south (left) on South Grant until you
come to an L.D.S. Church. Just to the east of the church is a small
park (Centennial Park) where riders can park and fill water bottles.
The City Creek trail head is south of the L.D.S. Church just beyond the
chain link fence.

Begin the ride by following the trail along the City Creek riparian
zone. You'll be heading in a westerly direction working your way
up to the base of Kinport Mt. The trail is a great single track and
used frequently by other riders. Some sections of the trail offer
technical riding avoiding roots, rocks, and worn shoulders. At times
it pops out onto a gravel road, but just look for places to get back on
the single track in the trees. About a mile and a half up the trail
there is an intersection. Turn south to go up Kinport via Cusick
Creek, the next drainage south of City Creek, or keep heading west to climb
Kinport via City Creek. Turn north to get on the City Creek gravel
road. Cusick Creek is a narrow service road which is more like two
parallel single tracks. The route is somewhat rocky and steep in
places. The scenery is great especially as you near the top of Kinport.

City Creek is a mix of single track and dirt road. Around a mile
after the intersection the single track darts out onto the City Creek road.
By this time the road is dirt and nice to ride on. When the road
starts to switch back out of the City Creek drainage, you can either head
up the road to summit Kinport or stay in the drainage following the creek
along a nice single track. Eventually the trail diminishes.
Turn around and enjoy the descent. In the higher elevations of City
Creek you get into some beautiful pines and aspens. The trails are
fairly smooth with occasional interuptions of rocks.

3. Slate Mountain

Difficulty & Distance:Difficult, about 8.5 miles (guard station to Gibson Jack).

The Slate Mountain ride can be approached from two different accesses.
One access starts at Gibson Jack Road. The other--and recommended
access--starts at the Bannock Guard Station. On Outdoor Program trips
we often run a shuttle by parking a car at Juniper Hills Country Club and
hauling everyone up to the Bannock Guard Station access.

Finding either of the two trail heads can be a tricky endeavor.
To get to the Gibson Jack access drive towards Scout Mountain by following
Bannock Highway. Across from the entrance to the Juniper Hills Country
Club is Gibson Jack Road. This is approximately four miles out of
town. Follow Gibson Jack until the road ends. Park and ride
following the single track that heads south (right of the parking area).
Cross Gibson Jack Creek and ride up a series of switchbacks out of the
drainage. This trail will eventually take you to a point just north
of the Bannock Guard Station. From here you can ride back on Bannock
Highway to Gibson Jack and your vehicle.

To start at the Bannock Guard Station keep driving up Bannock Highway
past the Scout Mountain turn-off (Fuzy Tree Farm). About 100 to 200
yards past the Fuzy Tree Farm intersection is a hard to see dirt road dropping
off to the right (north) of the road. The road is narrow and tall
weeds and brush conceal it until you are right next to it. Turn down
this road, cross Mink Creek, and park. The trail leads up a drainage
then switches back up and out onto a ridge heading northwest towards Gibson
Jack.

This ride is a challenging piece of trail. The climb is steep
and somewhat technical, and the descent is fast. It alternates from open
ridges and vegetated draws. In places, the trail is worn away and
tends to suck a tire off, sometimes throwing a rider. Don't let it
scare you. This ride is excellent.

4. Valve House

Difficulty & Distance:Easy; described loop is about 8.5 miles.

To reach Valve House, drive four miles south of Pocatello on Bannock Highway
towards Scout Mountain. Four miles past the turnoff to Scout
Mountain is a small low building on the east side of the road. A
couple hundred feet further up the road on the west side is a parking area.
This parking area is the trail head for West Fork and is the place to park
for the Valve House ride.

The trail head for Valve House is on the east side of the Bannock Highway
and begins beside a small building. Valve House is a cruise as it
follows a fairly smooth jeep road. A loop can be made by dropping
west off of the Valve House trail on a single track which connects with
South Fork road. The single track can be hard to find but it is well
worth the effort. Look for it when the climb up Valve House eases
up and you start to descend. In this area, you will pass through
a fence (this should be the second fence). About 100 yards down the trail
from the fence, a drainage drops to your right. A single track descends
into this drainage, follows it for a while, then climbs out of it and drops
into another eventually making its way to the South Fork Road.

The single track is a downhill run and fun as can be. The scenery
is excellent, if you take the time to slow down and see it. The trail
is well traveled so you shouldn't get lost. Once on the South Fork,
you can follow it back to Bannock Highway and return to your vehicle.

5. Corral Creek

Difficulty & Distance:Moderate, about 2.25 miles to Clifton Creek intersection.
Clifton Creek trail to Corral Creek is about 3 miles.

Corral Creek is located in the Scout Mountain area. To reach it,
drive out on Bannock Highway. One mile past the West Fork of Mink
Creek, look for the South Fork turn off. Just a few feet further
on Bannock Highway, a parking lot is on the right. Park here.

The Corral Creek trail leads west from the parking area, climbing up
a drainage lined with trees. Eventually it connects with the Clifton
Creek trail. From here, several loops are possible, either by heading
south towards Crystal Summit or north towards the West Fork of Mink Creek.
The Corral Creek trail is challenging, offering a good climb with technical
areas.

5. Porcelain Pot

Difficulty & Distance:Various levels, various miles.

Just beyond Corral Creek, along Bannock Highway, there are two pull-out
parking areas on the west (right) side of Bannock Highway. These small
parking areas mark the trail heads for the Porcelain Pot Trail System.
The trail system was cleared by the Caribou National Forest for cross-country
skiing, but works well for summer mountain biking. The Porcelain
Pot trails have a variety of terrain for every level of rider.

6. Highland Area

Difficulty & Distance:

Various levels, various miles

To get to the trails in this area, drive to Pocatello Creek Road.
(It can be reached by taking the Pocatello Creek Exit of Interstate 15.)
Once on Pocatello Creek turn north (left) on Olympus, and drive to Butte.
Turn right (east) on Butte. Follow Butte to the end. At the
end of Butte there is a small dirt road leading north and south behind
the houses. By heading south on this road, you will find a myriad
of jeep roads. Explore this area and have fun.

The trails in this area range from smooth 4x4 roads, which resemble
parallel single tracks, to rocky, rutted-out hill climbs. The rides
mix quick descents with short hill climbs. This area is great in
cool weather or when you need a quick mountain biking fix.

Other Resources

Another great reference for mountain biking in the Pocatello area is:
Idaho Mountain Biking.
This web site includes trails for Pocatello, Idaho Falls, Sun Valley, Boise
and North Idaho along with lots of helpful hints on riding.